Tried-and-true wedding cake designs aren't exactly flops — they're just dated. Demand lies in edgier creations of modern shapes and exotic flavors.

“Unique cakes are the norm anymore,” said Ed Otto of The Cake Gallery in Omaha.

Couples are even creating patterns of their own. “And some are very complex,” Otto said. “One cake took over 30 hours to complete.”

Nine out of 10 cake orders handled by Hy-Vee's Ashley Albers are for modern designs with specialty flavors or fillings.

Forget about plain-Jane vanilla and ho-hum chocolate; you can have lemon-coconut, mocha or raspberry swirl cake. Or cake with strawberry, raspberry or lemon fruit filling.

“Pink champagne is our best seller,'' Albers said, followed by chocolate cake with Bavarian cream filling. Fondant icing, characterized by its smooth finish, is one way to give a cake a modern look. Ribbons, polka dots and swirls are popular embellishments.

You'll see a mix of square cakes, round cakes and combination cakes this season. Albers recently designed a cake with layers angled in different directions. It looked more topsy-turvy when put together, she said.

The crowning touch: Fresh flowers and single monograms.

“I can't remember the last time we designed a cake with a traditional wedding topper,” Albers said. She commonly uses fresh flowers, ribbon and seasonal motifs.

« WEI - Cakes & Confections

Share